Stolen Matisse masterpieces recovered in Italy and Brazil

Italian police have recovered three paintings stolen from a museum near Parma, including works by Henri Matisse, Paul Cézanne, and Auguste Renoir, with a combined estimated value exceeding $10 million.

The three recovered artworks are "Fish" by Auguste Renoir, "Still Life with Cherries" by Paul Cézanne, and "Odalisque on the Terrace" by Henri Matisse. The paintings were taken from the Magnani Rocca Foundation museum in Mamiano di Traversetolo during a raid on the night of March 22-23. According to police, thieves forced open the entrance door and removed all three works in less than three minutes before escaping across the museum gardens. The investigation into the theft remains ongoing.

In a separate recovery, Brazilian police have found eight stolen Matisse illustrations valued at approximately $200,000. The works were discovered at a home in São Bernardo do Campo, a suburb south of São Paulo, and were stolen from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade library on December 7, 2025. One person was arrested in connection with the recovery of the Brazilian artworks.

The two recoveries underscore the international scale of art theft and the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to track down stolen cultural treasures.